IM WALDER
The cooperative 'Im Walder' in Zurich was built in 1990 by the architect Werner Rafflenbeul -
a housing estate on the outskirts of Zurich developed as a self-contained unit. The cooperative consists of twelve single-family houses with almost identical floor plans. Communal areas as the residential street, the children's playground and a common square with pergola connect the individual homes with their private gardens. The layouts of the buildings are relatively simple, whereby interesting spatial impressions are constructed by offsets in the façade, various outdoor areas on different floors and flowing spatial transitions on the ground floor.
The conversion of one of these houses involved redesigning and opening the kitchen area, the restroom as well as the adjoining rooms on the ground floor, designing new carpentry work and introducing overall new surfaces. A particular focus was laid on preserving and strengthening the simple basic structure while creating new spatial qualities. As a result, mainly the core on the ground floor was redesigned. By creating new openings and a clear allocation of individual core areas to the surrounding rooms, it was possible to enhance the usability of the premises. The hallway was fitted with new wardrobes. The kitchen continues to have a small pantry, while the tall refrigerator has been integrated into the core to achieve a more spacious layout for the kitchen. The bathroom is now directly accessible from the hallway and the office has been upgraded with a built-in cupboard.
The ground floor is still designed as an open space, but with passageways to the living room slightly widened and more clearly defined individual areas. The additional openings in the wall between the staircase and the living room were closed or converted into built-in shelving and supplemented with a long bench. The open floor plan is reinforced by the fact that the flooring and ceiling run uninterrupted through all the rooms and are even visible in the built-in wardrobes. Specific areas and certain new elements are highlighted by a different use of materials and individual colors.
